1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to toys for use with animals. More particularly, the invention relates to tilted treat dispensing toys structured for use with animals including equines, dogs, etc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The need to entertain animals, especially when unattended for periods of time is well known in the art. For example, toys employed with domestic animals, such as those constructed of latex and other suitable materials, enable an animal to be amused and entertained while alone. Further, suitable toys will often prevent an animal from chewing or damaging an item such as a shoe or a piece of furniture. When considering equine animals, which are considered to be very intelligent, there is a tendency for these animals to become bored when left unattended. As a result, these animals have been known to chew railings, barn stall doors and partitions, and other available nearby items.
The prior art provides many examples of toys that have been devised to entertain and amuse animals. U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,652 awarded to Budman, et al. provides an example of a simple spherical ball-like toy intended for use with equine animals. However, devices such as that disclosed by Budman, provide no encouragement or inducement for an animal to be engaged (by the toy), especially after a period of time has passed and the animal has become accustomed to the toy.
Other toys and devices have been constructed that encourage interaction by dispensing pieces of food, or what may be generally termed `treats`. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,147 to Rubin teaches a canister or container device having a plurality of openings to dispense a meal to an animal. Devices of this type suffer from some fundamental problems. First, as the container or body of the toy is rotated a treat which doesn't fully eject may pick up sand, small pebbles, and or other ground surface debris. This may especially be the case if the treats are provided as cut-up pieces of fruit or vegetable. As such, the sand, pebbles, and or debris items may eventually be ingested by the animal--possibly in significant quantities. In addition, the rotation of these devices may aid in contaminating the entire lot of treats housed within an interior chamber.
Another problem, which is common with many toys and entertainment devices, is that the device may easily be moved to a perimeter of a desired holding area, for example a property line or a fence/wall in a holding pen. These devices may then be difficult or impossible for an animal to continue to use and play with. It would be most desirable to structure a device so that it will be maintained in a fixed, easily determined, and limited area or region. Further, it would be most preferred to provide a device that dispenses treats and small pieces of food, while remaining in a restricted and predictable area. Therefore, while the known devices available in the art are suitable for their intended uses, there is a need for new and improved treat dispensing devices and toys having been structured and arranged to overcome one or more of the above listed problems, and possibly others which have not been explicitly discussed.
A full understanding of the present invention, including an understanding of a number of capabilities, characteristics, and associated novel features, will result from a careful review of the description and figures of several preferred embodiments provided herein. Attention is called to the fact, however, that the drawings and descriptions are illustrative only. Variations and alternate embodiments are contemplated as being part of the invention, limited only by the scope of the appended claims.